1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to mail and parcel delivery receptacles of the general type referred to by the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) as “cluster box units.” More particularly, a cluster box unit, or “CBU” as it often is called, typically takes the form of a free-standing structure having a protective outer cabinet or enclosure, the interior of which can be accessed by USPS personnel by unlocking and opening one or a pair of so-called “master loading doors” that define a majority of the front face of a CBU.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a cluster box unit of the type having a left master loading door (LMLD) and a right master loading door (RMLD), the left side of the left master loading door usually is coupled by a left hinge to the left side of the enclosure of the CBU, and the right side of the right master loading door usually is coupled by a right hinge to the right side of the enclosure of the CBU. When the LMLD and RMLD are unlocked and pivoted to their fully open positions, substantially unobstructed access is provided to the interior of the CBU so that USPS personnel can insert mail and parcels into delivered mail and delivered parcel compartments arranged in left and right “stacks.” When the master loading doors are pivoted to their closed positions and locked, access to individual ones of the delivered mail and parcel compartments is gained by unlocking individual mail and parcel compartment doors that comprise door-within-a-door elements of the master loading doors.
Stated in another way, each delivered mail compartment and each delivered parcel compartment has its own, individual door, and these individual doors are elements of the left and right master loading doors—elements that normally are locked in closed positions so they pivot together with other elements of the master loading doors between closed and open positions of the master loading doors. Access to individual delivered mail compartments can be had by the customers, tenants or so-called “postal patrons” to whom the delivered mail compartments have been assigned when the postal patrons insert and turn individually assigned keys (that have been provided to them by the USPS or by managerial staff of apartment complexes, condominiums and the like) into locks found on the doors of delivered mail compartments so the doors can be opened to permit removal of compartment contents, thereafter the doors are closed and relocked, and the keys thereto removed by the postal patrons. A postal patron opens one of the delivered parcel compartments only when he or she finds a key to a delivered parcel compartment in his or her delivered mail compartment—a key that has been placed in the delivered mail compartment of the postal patron by a USPS delivery person who has inserted into a delivered parcel compartment one or more parcels (that will not fit in the patron's delivered mail compartment)—a key that can be used to open (on a onetime basis) the parcel compartment where the patron's parcel or parcels are waiting to be retrieved.
Within the interior of a CBU of the type having left and right master loading doors, are left and right shelved cabinet assemblies that define the left and right stacks of mail and parcel compartments, respectively. The left stack of compartments is separated from the right stack of compartments by a vertically extending central structure which prevents items from the left compartments from being mixed with items from the right compartments, and vice versa. Latch and lock components for retaining the left and right master loading doors closed and locked often are connected to the central structure which couples the left and right shelved cabinet assemblies that define the left and right stacks of delivered mail and delivered parcel compartments.
The interior of a cluster box unit also usually has a compartment for temporarily holding “outgoing mail,” namely mail that is to be collected and processed by USPS personnel for delivery to other addresses and locations. Postal patrons who have outgoing mail to be collected and processed by the USPS may insert their outgoing mail into the outgoing mail compartment through a slot (that usually is protected by a louver) formed through one of the master loading doors, often the right master loading door.
A variety of locking systems and lock components have been proposed for retaining the master loading doors of a CBU closed and locked against unauthorized access (i.e., the master loading doors are only to be opened by authorized USPS personnel), and for retaining in closed and locked positions the individual door-within-a-door closures that provide individual access to the various delivered mail, delivered parcel and outgoing mail compartments of the CBU. Some CBU proposals employ outgoing mail compartment doors that are especially sturdy and resistant to attack, and that are held closed by a lock mechanism installed thereon by USPS personnel that can be unlocked by one of a group of restricted access USPS keys. These “hardened” outgoing mail compartment doors (sometimes referred to as “delivery doors” or as “collection doors”), when unlocked and opened, not only permit outgoing mail to be removed from the associated outgoing mail compartment but also permit the latches of the master loading doors to be released so the master loading doors can be opened to enable USPS personnel to insert mail and parcels into the delivered mail and delivered parcel compartments.
When a parcel is inserted into one of the delivered parcel compartments, the USPS delivery person locks the associated parcel door and inserts the key of the parcel door into the delivered mail compartment of the postal patron to whom the parcel is addressed. When the postal patron finds a parcel door key in his or her delivered mail compartment, he or she uses the key to open the associated parcel compartment and retrieves the parcel. When a parcel door key is turned to unlock the door of a parcel compartment, the lock mechanism of the parcel door “traps” or retains the key and prevents the tenant from relocking the parcel door, which can only be locked by USPS personnel. Key retaining lock mechanisms designed for use with delivered parcel lockers in the manner just described are known.
Although a number of cluster box unit proposals have been approved by the USPS and have functioned satisfactorily where installed to serve the mail and parcel delivery needs of a wide variety of multi-unit dwelling facilities, a need nonetheless remains for cluster box units designed to provide improved and enhanced security, corrosion resistance and longevity of service—cluster box units that are stronger and more resistant to unauthorized entry while, at the same time, being formed from reasonably priced, relatively easy to assemble components that can be serviced, maintained and replaced with a minimum of down time when damaged due to normal wear and tear, accident, vandalism or attack are needed. In these and other factors that merit consideration during product design, prior art proposals have left room for improvement.
The present invention addresses these and other needs and objectives as will become apparent from the disclosure that follows.
It is accordingly a primary aspect of the invention to provide a cluster box units which incorporates a wide variety of features that enhance security and attack resistance while utilizing components that can be assembled quickly and easily, and that can be serviced as needed in order to keep the unit functioning properly throughout its service life that last many years. Included among the many features disclosed herein are protective enclosure improvements, internal cabinetry improvements, door, hinge and locking system improvements, and a host of other features that are not found in present day cluster box units—features that are intended to provide units that function smoothly throughout lengthy service lives, that resist corrosion, offer good appearances, and that shield mail and parcels from inclement weather and from unauthorized access or attack.
The cluster box unit provides outgoing mail compartment doors that are heavily constructed and rigidly reinforced, with the locks carried thereon protectively shielded, and with the extensible bolts of these locks being engaged by brackets that not only lock the outgoing mail compartment doors but also the master loading doors of the cluster box units.
Master loading doors are provided with hinges that extend the full height of the doors—hinges that are defined by pivotally interfitting elements of extrusions that very sturdily mount the master loading doors, that prevent prying or bending the doors in the vicinities of their hinges. The interfitting elements of the hinge extrusions also permit the doors to be installed on their surrounding door frames quickly and easily, and permit one or both of the master loading doors to be quickly and easily removed for service or replacement when necessary.